62875-08-5

Upstream product

• 556-82-1 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol 

Downstream Products

• 108865-85-6 (R,S)-2,3-dihydroxy-3-methylbutyl p-toluenesulfonate 

Relevant academic research and scientific papers

Unveiling the Active Surface Sites in Heterogeneous Titanium-Based Silicalite Epoxidation Catalysts: Input of Silanol-Functionalized Polyoxotungstates as Soluble Analogues

We report on a site-isolated model for Ti(IV) by reacting [Ti(iPrO)4] with the silanol-functionalized polyoxotungstates [XW9O34-x(tBuSiOH)3]3- (X = P, x = 0, 1; X = Sb, x = 1, 2) in tetrahydrofuran. The resulting titanium(IV) complexes [XW9O34-x(tBuSiO)3Ti(OiPr)]3- (X = P, 3; X = Sb, 4) were obtained in monomeric forms both in solution and in the solid state, as proved by diffusion NMR experiments and by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Anions 3 and 4 represent relevant soluble models for heterogeneous titanium silicalite epoxidation catalysts. The POM scaffolds feature slight conformational differences that influence the chemical behavior of 3 and 4 as demonstrated by their reaction with H2O. In the case of 3, the hydrolysis reaction of the isopropoxide ligand is only little shifted toward the formation of a monomeric [PW9O34(tBuSiO)3Ti(OH)]3- (5) species [log K = -1.96], whereas 4 reacted readily with H2O to form a μ-oxo bridged dimer {[SbW9O33(tBuSiO)3Ti]2O}6- (6). The more confined was the coordination site, the more hydrophobic was the metal complex. By studying the reaction of 3 and 4 with hydrogen peroxide using NMR and Raman spectroscopies, we concluded that the reaction leads to the formation of a titanium-hydroperoxide Ti-(η1-OOH) moiety, which is directly involved in the epoxidation of the allylic alcohol 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol. The combined use of both spectroscopies also led to understanding that a shift of the acid-base equilibrium toward the formation of Ti(η2-O2) and H3O+ correlates with the partial hydrolysis of the phosphotungstate scaffold in 3. In that case, the release of protons also catalyzed the oxirane opening of the in situ formed epoxide, leading to an increased selectivity for 1,2,3-butane-triol. In the case of the more stable [SbW9O33(tBuSiO)3Ti(OiPr)]3- (4), the evolution to Ti(η2-O2) peroxide was not detected by Raman spectroscopy, and we performed reaction progress kinetic analysis by NMR monitoring the 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol epoxidation to assess the efficiency and integrity of 4 as precatalyst.

Oxidation of geraniol and other substituted olefins with hydrogen peroxide using mesoporous, sol-gel-made tungsten oxide-silica mixed oxide catalysts

The preparation of a series of mesoporous tungsten oxide-silica mixed oxides by sol-gel methods under basic conditions is reported. Surface modification with methyl and 3-chloropropyl groups is possible in an amount between 10 and 40 mol% with respect to the silane precursor. The amount of polar organic functional groups controls the surface area, the porosity, and the catalytic activity of the solids in the oxidation of different substrates with hydrogen peroxide. The oxidation of geraniol is studied in detail. The catalysts are active and produce epoxides in good yields. The latter are influenced by the presence of polar organic groups. The preparation method allows the preparation of catalysts that are resistant to leaching and can be recycled several times without appreciable loss of activity.